I. Technical Field
Embodiments described herein relate generally to touch-based user interfaces, such as a track pad or a touch screen, and more particularly, to touch-based user interfaces capable of providing localized haptic feedback to a user.
II. Background Discussion
Existing touch-based user interfaces typically have a touch panel and a visual display component. The touch panel may include a touch sensitive surface that, in response to detecting a touch event, generates a signal that can be processed and utilized by other components of an electronic device. The touch sensitive surface may be separate from the display component, such as in the case of a trackpad, or may be integrated into or positioned in front of the viewable area of the display screen, such as in the case of a display touchscreen.
In either case, the display component may display textual and/or graphical display elements representing selectable virtual buttons or icons, and the touch sensitive surface may allow a user to navigate the content displayed on the display screen. Typically, a user may move one or more objects, such as a finger or a stylus, across the touch sensitive surface in a pattern that the device translates into an input command. As an example, some electronic devices allow the user to select a virtual button by tapping a portion of the touch sensitive surface corresponding to the virtual button. Other electronic devices include a touch sensitive surface that can detect more than one simultaneous touch events in different locations on the touchscreen.
Existing touch-based user interfaces do not provide haptic feedback to a user. Haptic feedback may be any type of tactile feedback that takes advantage of a user's sense of touch, for example, by applying forces, vibrations, and/or motions to the user. The user can typically only feel the rigid surface of the touch screen, making it difficult to find icons, hyperlinks, textboxes, or other user-selectable input elements that are being displayed. A touch-based user interface may help a user navigate content displayed on the display screen by incorporating haptic feedback. For example, localized haptic feedback can enable a user to feel what is being displayed by providing feedback when a user locates a virtual button, selects the virtual button and/or confirms the selection of the virtual button.